


In the Absence of Gravity

by sitabethel



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Original Game, Praise Kink, VR blowjob in microgravity, Violetshipping, happy birthday Steffy!, inspired by the anti-gravity game in Ender's Game, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21689716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sitabethel/pseuds/sitabethel
Summary: Jounouchi Katsuya is a natural at Seto's new game. Desperate to improve his skills, Seto hires Katsuya to train him. It's the perfect opportunity for Katsuya to get back at Seto for all the grief Seto gave him about Duel Monsters, but Katsuya prefers a different approach.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Comments: 18
Kudos: 100





	In the Absence of Gravity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Supersteffy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supersteffy/gifts).



> Happy birthday, Steffy!!! I hope you enjoy this little one-shot of your OTP :D
> 
> The song they're dancing to at the end is Incubus's "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)"

Seto shoved his feet off one of the side walls and stabbed through the air. Controlling his trajectory with small propulsion devices on his belt, cufflinks, and boots, Seto maneuvered through three rings before stabbing his javelin into its target. 

“Ha!” Seto jeered in triumph. “One more round and it’s impossible for you to beat my score.” 

“Never say never, Seto!” Jounouchi pulled the javelin from the target and floated to one of the small islands in the center of the battlefield. 

“I didn’t say never. I said impossible.” 

Seto swiped along a screen on the wall near his target, placing seven mines around their playing field. Usually he blocked the rings so his opponents couldn’t earn bonus points; however, Jounouchi had a knack for slipping through the space between the mine and the ring, so instead Seto formed all seven around the target. No goal meant no points regardless of how many rings Jounouchi managed. This time, _this time_ , Jonouchi was going to lose. 

“You play so dirty.” Jounouchi laughed as the mines materialized around the target. 

“I _will_ defeat you.” 

“And I _will_ laugh my ass off after I win.” Jounouchi mocked Seto by imitating his grave tone. 

This was a simulation. 

Miles above them, in Seto’s first free-floating space station, construction for a real-time microgravity battle ground had begun, but it would take years to complete and Seto wanted to prepare himself by running simulations to prepare his mind for the disorienting experience of launching himself through a weightless environment. He’d offered beta privileges to top ranking duelists around the world. Yugi, never being one for physical sports, was a solid player, but nothing spectacular. 

Jounouchi, on the other hand, was an outright idiot savant at the game. He hadn’t even completed the zero gravity tutorial—just launched himself onto the field and whooped and shouted like a teen during a joyride while slipping through rings and bouncing off the islands that turned the battleground into a unique maze for each game. 

This game was no different. Jounouchi leapt into the air, ricocheting off of several islands and gaining speed each time he bounced off them at the perfect angle. The rules allowed body blocking, so Seto chased him, intent of throwing Jonouchi off his course. Jounouchi dodged Seto and reached the top-most ring, a difficult one to catch, before boomeranging himself off the rim of it and down to the bottom-most ring. 

Seto’s mouth dropped. Top and bottom rings in succession. He’d never seen a maneuver like that, even in AI tests. Jounouchi pushed off of the “floor” and shot to another floating disk/island. He somersaulted off the structure and flipped backward to a third ring, then used his boosters to zig-zag to a fourth. Seto lunged for Jounouchi, but he overshot, and crashed into a wall while Jounouchi managed to fly through the filth and final ring. 

Impossible. _Impossible_! No one had ever managed to hit all five rings in a single game before! He shouldn’t have had the momentum for it! 

Now Seto’s only hope was for Jounouchi to crash into one of the mines and— 

Jounouchi tied his friendship bracelet around the javelin and connected it to one of his boosters. Aiming between the mines, Jounouchi sent the javelin flying on its own. He sprawled above the mines, but the javelin slipped through and struck a perfect bullseye. Seto raced to intercept the javelin, but he was too far away and didn’t reach it in time. 

“Fuck!” Seto kicked the wall. 

“Woo-hoo! That was amazing!” Jounouchi backflipped from the wall. His acrobatics were lopsided without his left wrist-jet, but he laughed and cheered as he tumbled around the course regardless of his lack of grace. 

“Again!” Seto shouted at the jester flipping through the air. 

“No can do. It’s time for me to go to work.” Jounouchi floundered his way to the javelin so he could retrieve his bracelet and booster. 

“Work.” Seto’s lips twisted as if Jounouchi has said something vulgar. “Who cares about waiting tables when the real glory is right here?” 

Seto pulled the javelin from its target. The tip flashed in the soft lighting of the battleground. He offered it to Jounouchi as if he were Zeus passing on his lightning bolt to a mere mortal, if the mortal were only brave enough to seize it. Jounouchi smiled. 

“I want to, but some of us need to, you know, buy our own groceries because we don’t have a full kitchen staff to do that sort of thing for us. And I’m sure your mansion’s paid off, but my landlord expects rent every month, so...gotta wait those tables.” Jounouchi winked. 

The wink flared through Seto’s veins, setting the gaming adrenaline already racing through Seto on fire and burning him alive. He couldn’t bear the thought of Jounouchi leaving him alone. He wanted to watch the way Jounouchi could twist his body around any obstacle, through any goal, he wanted to chase Jounouchi’s skill until he met and superseded it. He wanted to see Katusya pressed against the wall, red-faced and panting…

In defeat, obviously. Seto shook his head to banish the image and repeated to himself that he only wanted to see Jounouchi in such a position as an admission to Seto’s superior game play and nothing more. 

“Your skills are wasted at that greasy, pathetic dive. Quit. I’ll hire you as my…” Seto’s face burned. He didn’t want to admit he needed improvement, but his skills weren’t anywhere near Jounouchi’s and the scoreboards reminded him of this insufferable fact by the end of each game. “My personal trainer.” 

“Are...are you shitting me?” Jounouchi’s face twisted as if Seto had spoken Greek instead of Japanese. 

“You managed all five rings in one pass,” Seto said. 

“I guess I did, didn’t I?” Jounouchi scratched the back of his head, a huge grin on his face. 

“So are we going to play another match?” 

“Hold up, hold up.” Jounouchi held his hands in front of him. “If you’re serious—I accept. I will tutor you in the game, but Seto, I can’t quit my job over the phone. You have to let me put in my two weeks notice.” 

“Why? I’ll pay you 10x’s what you’re making there. Starting now.” 

“It’s not about the money. I mean, I’m fucking creaming my pants over the money right now, but you know I’m not going to leave my co-workers hanging. Especially right now. It’s the busiest time of the year. Two weeks. Any time I’m not working, we can play. After the two weeks I’ll hand my ass over to you and we can play whenever you want.” 

“Handing your ass over to me, are you?” Seto raised an eyebrow. 

Jounouchi burst into a round of laughter, realizing how his words sounded. He floated closer, pressing his hands against the wall on either side of Seto. 

“Zero gravity is nice because I can pretend I’m taller than you.” Jounouchi grinned. 

Seto’s jaw dropped. He stared at Jounouchi. Their mouths were _close._ Over the years, their insults and trash talk had somehow evolved into shameless, comfortable flirting, but they never acted on it. Seto wished by the strength of Obelisk that, this time, Jounouchi would actually go through with the threat of kissing Seto. 

But like all the other times, Jounouchi winked and shoved off the wall. 

“Off to work! I’ll text you my final schedule so we can plan out our games before I’m all yours.” Jonouchi waved before ending the simulation.

“All mine,” Seto echoed as Jounouchi disappeared, wishing it were true. 

***

Katsuya’s last day was bittersweet. He was going to miss his friends at work, and the regular customers he’d grown to know over the years, but he was ecstatic about starting his new job as Seto’s professional battle instructor. And Katsuya was aware of the irony. That Seto Kaiba, one of the greatest Duelists in the world, was asking Katsuya of all people for help on a game he’d _invented_. Katsuya would be lying if he didn’t admit to himself that it had been tempting to remind Seto of all the times he sneered and judged Katsuya when he was a struggling duelist just learning the game and Seto was considered the best—before Atem and Yugi stole his title from him. 

But they weren’t teenagers anymore. Hell, Seto had become a proper friend over the years, talking to them during tournaments, sometimes even drinking with them at the after parties. He was an over dramatic, stubborn jackass, sure, but his passion for games, the fierce way he flung himself into every goal, and his willingness to work hard to be the best were all attractive qualities in him, and it was 100% truth that he’d helped drive Katsuya and motivated him to become a better duelist. 

Although far more than Seto’s rivalry, it had been _Yugi_ (and Atem) who’d encouraged Katsuya and gave him a hand whenever he needed it. Yugi’s support and kindness had helped Katsuya thrive far more than Seto’s pressure. So while it would have been poetic justice for Katsuya to tease and berate Seto when they played in the battleground, Katsuya’s teaching style was more patient. He didn't wear kid gloves when Seto needed to be corrected after making a mistake, but he tried to praise Seto every chance he got and encourage him to get better with each game. 

And it was working! Seto was now at the point where he could consistently get at least 3 rings before hitting the target. Katsuya was confident Seto would manage 4 rings before long. They were even talking about modifying the game and adding seven rings and 12 mines to make things more challenging. 

The way Seto flushed when Katsuya praised him didn’t hurt things either. More than once, Katsuya almost leaned in to steal a kiss before remembering he was supposed to be _working_ and Seto paid way too good for Katsuya to wreck his gravy train, so he forced himself to be respectable and never gave into the urges tugging at him as the weeks moved on. It didn’t help when Seto insisted that Katsuya go to the mansion for their simulated games instead of meeting within the server. At least in the game, Katsuya could remind himself that the Seto in front of him wasn’t _real_ , but after the game, the one who stood in front of him and smirking _was real_ , and it made Katsuya ache to touch him all the more. 

“I’ve done it.” Seto met Katsuya in the parlor of the mansion, that patent mad scientist gleam in his eye. 

“What did you do? Teach a monkey how to duel in space?” 

“Your charm is an acquired taste, have I ever mentioned that?” Seto narrowed his gaze, but Katsuya only laughed. Seto gave up, rolling his eyes and explaining, “I added the extra rings and mines into the programing of the game.” 

“Already?” Katsuya’s mouth dropped. 

Katsuya didn't know jack shit about programming, but he knew Seto’s simulated games involved special KC brand quantum processors. Sometimes Honda bla-bla-bla’ed about how advanced the technology was, and Katsuya only understood every fourth word, but he understood that Seto probably hadn’t been sleeping enough in order to change the mechanics of the game so quickly. 

“If you’re exhausted, you’re not going to play as well.” 

“Ha! I’m fine!” Seto scoffed away Katsuya’s concern. “Let’s go. I want to test them before we push a software update.” 

“It’s a date!” Katsuya grinned before he realized what he said. “Erm—”

“Come on you dork. I don’t have all day to chat in the hallway.” Seto marched in front of him. 

They went to the game room and lay on two reclining chairs set up with the VR headbands. Katsuya blinked as the battlegrounds took shape before him. He whistled. The rings where usually horizontal or vertical, but Seto added slants, and three of them were moving. A few of the mines moved as well. 

“Holy shit, Seto you’re a genius!” 

“I know,” Seto said. 

“Okay, smart ass, I know you know.” Katusya clapped Seto’s shoulder. “But I meant you did a great job upgrading the game.” 

“Thanks,” Seto muttered, glancing away so Katsuya couldn’t see the blush on his cheeks. 

But of course Katsuya saw the blush on Seto’s cheeks, and he loved it! Seto was pretty cute when he was nervous—which only ever seemed to happen when Katsuya praised him—which only encouraged Katsuya to praise him more to continue the vicious cycle. Katsuya grabbed Seto’s burning cheeks and tilted Seto’s head so they were eye-to-eye. 

“Thank you? Did the great and powerful Seto Kaiba just say thank you? Is my hearing okay? Seto, how’s my health insurance? I might need to get my ears checked out.” Katsuya grinned as he ran his thumbs up Seto’s cheeks. 

“You fucking dork,” Seto hissed, face so red that Katusya’s lips burned when he thought about kissing those fiery cheeks. 

Seto reached up and grabbed Katsuya’s wrists. For a moment Katsuya tensed, wondering if he’d pushed too far and Seto was going to shove his hands down, but Seto took a step closer. His glacier-blue eyes were a perfect contrast to the fire in his cheeks. 

“Katsuya...I—”

“Want me to shut up and play. I know.” Katsuya jerked away, rubbing the back of his head and laughing in a fit of embarrassment. 

He needed to cut it the fuck out before he got his ass canned. Sure, they often flirted while gaming, but he still had a job to do, and he needed to take it more seriously. 

“You go first.” Seto handed Katsuya the javelin.

“You’re only letting me go first so you can analyse my moves.” Katsuya grabbed the javelin and walked to the beginning platform. 

Seto walked behind him, tapping a finger against his lips and blatantly staring at Katsuya’s ass. 

“Yes. A very thorough analysis indeed.” 

Katsuya dropped the javelin. 

“Ooops. Clumsy me.” He bent over to fetch it, taking his time. 

Seto _laughed_. He didn’t cackle, or scoff, or sneer; he laughed. Katsuya’s heart rocketed through each of the seven rings and exploded at the bullseye at the other end of the room. He bit his bottom lip, grinning at Seto before jumping into the arena and bouncing off several islands to reach the first ring. Seto should have been chasing him, but he only stood outside the microgravity field and watched. 

Katsuya did his best to ignore Seto and focus on the game. He was through the third ring and spiraling toward the top ring. He grabbed it like a gymnastic bar and spun in circles around it, gathering speed before sling-shooting to one of the remaining stationary rings. 

He managed six, but missed the bottom-most ring because of the now-moving mines getting in his way. At least he dodged the mine and didn’t lose all his points. With the last of the power in his boosters, Katsuya reached the target and sank the tip of the javelin right in the sweet spot. 

“The movement adds an entirely new dimension to the game, doesn’t it?” Seto flew over to him once the round was over. 

“Sure does, but I love it.” Katsuya pushed the sweat-damp bangs from his face. 

Seto grabbed the javelin. He yanked on it, but couldn’t dislodge it from the bullseye. He braced his knees against the wall for leverage and pulled, but to no avail. 

“Damn, Kat, how excited were you when you rammed this in?” 

Katsuya flushed at the nickname. Seto’s conversation was usually guarded and deliberate. Had he _meant_ to use the nickname? Katsuya couldn’t imagine it being an accident—not with Seto. With his thoughts scrambled and his palms sweating, Katsuya slipped behind him and grabbed the javelin. 

“You see, if you jerk it enough—”

He helped Seto pull and they were spiraling into the field. They crashed against a square island floating in the center of the field. Katsuya grabbed Seto to keep him from floating off in the almost non-existent gravity. 

“You get a release,” Katsuya managed to finish his joke. 

“Well now that it’s in my hands, I’m going to show you some wild moves.” Seto grinned. 

Katsuya thought his heart might give out before they got halfway through the game. 

***

One month later and Seto was satisfied by his progress, especially considering the added challenges he’d implemented over two weeks ago. Running late because of a business meeting, Seto found Katsuya in the game room eating something breaded and fried. 

“What are you doing?” Seto asked. 

“The others dragged me to a duel earlier and we missed lunch.” He held out a styrofoam container. “Here, I brought you some.” 

“I’d rather not. We’re already running behind and—”

“Because you were working, right?” Katsuya asked. 

“Naturally.” 

“So you didn’t get lunch either.” 

“So what?” 

“So I’m your trainer, and trainer says you have to fuel the machine, Seto, so dig in!” 

“But...it’s fried.” Seto wrinkled his face. 

“Okay, see, are you acting picky because you don’t _like_ fried food, or because it doesn’t meet your strict megalomaniac corporate culinary regimen?” 

“Who taught you what those words even mean?” Seto crossed his arms over his chest. 

“You.” Katsuya laughed. “Been hanging around you for so many years that people make fun of my big words.” 

“Because your competence makes them insecure,” Seto snapped. He was furious at the thought of other people ridiculing Katsuya because of his vocabulary. How _dare_ they. 

“Wow, calling me competent. Next you’ll be holding my hand as we go on a long, moonlit walk.” Katsuya chuckled. 

Seto stooped and brushed the bangs from Katsuya’s face. Katsuya was teasing, but Seto approved of the idea. 

“Seto. Eat,” Katsuya insisted. 

“Fine.” Seto sighed, capitulating. 

He took the cheap, disposable chopsticks and broke them apart. Nibbling the outer breading, Seto had to admit that the pork cutlet was tasteful. Not filet mignon with foie gras sauce, but still an adequate meal. Tasting the food reminded Seto of how hungry he actually was. He dug into the meat, rice, and steamed vegetables, finishing before Katsuya. 

“Glad you liked it,” Katsuya said. 

“We’ll have to play an extra game to burn off the excess calories,” Seto joked, despite the game being a simulation. 

“Deal.” Katsuya wiped the corner of Seto’s lips. “Soy sauce.” 

Seto’s nerves ignited at the brush of Katsuya’s thumb. He stretched out his hand, gave Katsuya’s knee a squeeze, but then all his courage was spent and he lay back and connected to the VR world so he could work through his tension by focusing on the game. 

“So last week we worked on using the rings themselves to aim for the next one. You’ve mastered boomeranging, but today we’ll focus on spinning to gather speed before launching at the next target. The benefit is enough speed to reach far off rings, but you know if you let go a second early or late, you’ll overshoot or hit a mine.” Katsuya spoke the moment they materialized in the virtual world, knowing Seto hated to dawdle. 

“So we’re only counting rings we catch by spinning off other rings,” Seto typed a few commands into the control panel to make the computer keep score for them. 

“Exactly. Nice little challenge for us, yeah?” 

“It’ll be sufficient training…” Seto paused, frowning. 

Katsuya was _so good_ at making Seto feel invincible when he encouraged him. It was...foreign. Gozaburo met Seto’s every accomplishment with a tactful breakdown on what he’d done _wrong_. He used insults, threats, and gaslighting to tear Seto’s every thought to shreds. And now...each time Katsuya clapped Seto on the shoulder and told him _great job_ , it...stirred something within Seto. 

It was stupid, so stupid. Seto was used to the usual sniveling and ass-kissing from people, but when Katsuya said something positive—it was sincere. So sincere that Seto couldn’t dismiss it, and now he was noticing how flat his own compliments were in comparison. 

“Seto? Are you okay? You look more thoughtful than usual. Don’t overclock your genius-computer-brain.” 

“I know I didn’t teach you 'overclock'.” Seto glanced at Katsuya. 

“Nope. That one was Honda. He rambles computer talk all the time.” Katsuya shrugged. 

“Ah.” Seto nodded, still lost in thought. He rested a hand on Katsuya’s shoulder, something Katsuya did all the time, but Seto never had before. 

“Seto?” Katsuya stared at Seto’s hand touching him. 

“You...you...I—I recognize your skills and aptitude for training, and when the real battleground is ready, I’d like you to go with me for the christening game.” 

“Play for real? In space?” Katsuya perked up. 

“Yes. You’re the best player out there, no one else is worthy of facing me in the first non-virtual game.” 

“Wow, Seto, I-I’m honored.” Katsuya broke their contact to bow. 

“Hey, stop that.” Seto punched Katsuya’s shoulder. “Formal isn’t really your style.” 

“Then how about this—”

Katsuya crushed Seto in a hug and swirled him around the room. Seto shrieked, his usual calm demeanor shattering in Katsuya’s grip. Katsuya’s spinning slowed, and so did time. They stared at each other as Katsuya lowered Seto to his feet. Seto slipped his arms around Katsuya’s neck. They leaned in, parting their lips. As Seto dabbed his tongue against his bottom lip in anticipation of his first taste of Katsuya, Katsuya pulled away. 

“Okay! So let’s get started! Remember only spinning your way into a ring gives points so...so yeah. Let’s kick some ass!” 

Seto exhaled and dragged his fingers through his chestnut hair. Katsuya was so stupid. Why wasn’t he reading Seto’s signals? Seto was clearly sending very obvious signals! And Seto knew he wasn’t mis-interpreting Katsuya’s interest, so why did Katsuya keep pulling away?

***

Six months into training and Katsuya was struggling with each game. Not only were Seto’s skills blossoming before Katsuya’s eyes, but the urge to slam Seto against the wall and steal his breath away was devouring Katsuya from the inside out. Seto had added handles to the islands. He used one to swing himself around the island and toward another ring. Katsuya hadn’t anticipated the move, so he stumbled into his own mine and lost a point as a penalty as Seto gained one from slipping into his fifth ring before striking the target on Katsuya’s side of the field. 

“Get ready for round three!” Seto pointed at Katsuya, a challenge in his gaze. 

Those blue eyes slayed Katsuya each time he looked into them. Katsuya slapped himself, hoping to sober himself for his turn. He traveled to the target, yanked the javelin free, and prepared himself. He pushed out to an island the shape of a pyramid. He slipped below it and used the flat base to launch himself for the bottom ring.

Successful, Katsuya swung in circles and flung himself at the top ring. He noticed a mine in his way and used his boosters to swerve to another island. He bounced off of it, hit one of the rings moving back and forth, and swung himself into the top of the battlefield from a different angle. Katsuya went for the roof and shoved against the flat surface and into another ring. Using his momentum, Katsuya dove between two more mines and caught a fourth ring, then a fifth. His sixth was an angled ring blocked by two islands and a mine, but he managed it. 

Before he reached the last ring, Seto caught his foot and swung him in the wrong direction. There was nothing to be done. Katsuya aimed for the target before Seto managed to fling him into one of the mines and un-do all his points. Katsuya leaned against the wall, panting for breath. 

“Tired?” Seto asked. His hair floated around his face and Katsuya clenched his hand into a fist to resist combing his fingers through it. 

“Don’t worry, I have enough oomph to give you a good chase for your final turn.” 

“Counting on it.” Seto winked. 

Katsuya’s breath hitched. Seto’s flirting had gone from little, snappy back-and-forths to outright _flirting._ Katsuya licked his lips. His mouth watered with fantasies of kissing Seto. He still didn’t like the thought of kissing Seto while he was _on the clock_. Seemed skeezy somehow. But maybe if he asked him to go out for a drink after their game? And then at the end of the night if Katsuya brushed their lips together…

Seto whooped as he boomeranged from one ring to another. 

“Oh shit.” Katsuya kicked off the wall. He was supposed to be chasing Seto, not daydreaming about going on a date. 

Although, out of all the things Katsuya had taught Seto about the game—cheering was the thing he was most proud of. Each time Seto let out a shout, playing for fun instead of an obsessive urge to win, Katsuya’s heart melted. Seto snagged four, five, six, rings. Katsuya stood behind the seventh. Neither of them had ever managed seven in a game before. With the floating mines it was too difficult, but if Seto _did_ manage it, Katsuya needed to deflect him away from the target and heard him into the minefield in order to destroy Seto’s points. 

Seto shot through the seventh ring like a shooting star and crashed into Katsuya’s arms. 

“Seven!” Seto shouted, grabbing Katsuya’s face and kissing him.

They crashed against a wall before floating in a spiral. Seto didn’t pull away until he had to gasp for air. Katsuya stared at him with wide eyes. Seto grinned, leaned close, and whispered into Katsuya’s ear. 

“Sorry, but I lost my momentum and you’re the only nearby object.” 

Seto raised his legs and kicked off of Katsuya’s shoulder to shove himself toward the target. The audacity shocked Katsuya too much for him to chase, even when he bumped the wall again. Seto emptied out his boosters to race toward the target, spiking the javelin into the goal and doing a victory loop de loop. 

“You asshole!” Katsuya screamed from the adjacent wall. 

“Seven rings! I couldn’t not finish the game!” Seto yelled in defense. 

“You _used me_.” 

“I thought friends were supposed to offer a shoulder to stand on?” Seto laughed as he swam to Katsuya. 

“Friends, eh?” Katsuya grinned. 

“Maybe more?” Seto raised an eyebrow, leaning closer. 

“I’m supposed to be working!” Katsuya hid his face, blushing. 

“Is _that_ why you always pull away?” Seto slapped his forehead. “Gods, Kat, can you stop being noble for five minutes and fucking kiss me already?” 

“Okay, but not here. Turn off the game and I’ll kiss you for real.” 

“Whatever.” Seto crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes, but a goofy grin brightened his face. It was more than Katsuya could bear. 

He exited the battlegrounds, sat up, and pulled off the virtual reality headband. 

“So...about that kiss—” He turned to Seto and started. 

Seto was curled on his side, asleep and still wearing the head band. 

“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” This time Katsuya face-palmed. 

He knelt in front of Seto, disconnected the game, and combed his fingers through Seto’s hair. 

“Kat,” Seto whispered. 

“No wonder you were so happy and expressive. You were dreaming.” Katsuya gave a single snort of laughter. “Still, I’m happy I could make your dreams so happy. Come on.” 

Scooping Seto into his arms, Katsuya carried Seto to his bedroom. He lay Seto onto the bed and brushed his lips against Seto’s knuckles. 

“Good night, my grumpy prince.” 

“Don’t go.” Seto’s eyes fluttered open and he gripped Katsuya’s hand. 

“You fell asleep in the middle of our game.” 

“Did I?”

“Yeah. I told you you can’t pull all these long nights at work and still try to play for hours at a time.” 

“It’s fine. The VR system is compatible with REM.” 

“Nerd. You better get some rest. Maybe we should take a day off practicing.” 

“Don’t go.” Seto frowned. 

Katsuya looked at him, making sure he was awake and lucid enough to make decisions. Seto’s face twisted in concern. There was no way Katusya could leave with such a sad look on Seto’s face. He cupped Seto’s cheek. 

“Okay, but I’m not sleeping in blue jeans.” Katsuya dropped his pants and slipped beneath the covers. 

Seto copied him and lay his head on Katsuya’s chest. He was asleep the second he closed his eyes, leaving Katsuya alone in a bed the size of his apartment. His fingers combed through Seto’s hair. The strands were as silky and pleasant as Katsuya always daydreamed. He still didn’t think trainers were suppose to date their clients, but this was Seto Kaiba, and if he wanted something—he got it—and Katsuya figured it was better to roll with the flow instead of quitting his extremely fun job of playing games with Seto all day long just so he could date Seto. 

After a while, Katsuya managed to fall asleep. 

***

Seto jerked to sitting, glancing around his bedroom. He didn’t remember being carried, though he had a vague recollection of grabbing Katsuya’s wrist and begging him not to leave. 

“Morning handsome,” Katsuya muttered behind a yawn. 

“Tell me that wasn’t a dream. I know I fell asleep, but the game actually happened, right?” Seto smirked as he thought of crashing through the seventh ring and into Katsuya’s arms. 

“You mean the kiss?” Katsuya asked. 

“I mean scoring all seven rings!” 

“Is that all you care about?” Katsuya frowned. 

“No, but I _do_ care about it. I finally beat you.” 

“Congratulations.” Katusya sighed. 

“And I kissed you because you’re a damn boy scout.” 

“I take my job _seriously_.” 

“Want me to promote you so you don’t have to worry about dating out of your rank?” Seto smirked. 

“I don’t know how to write code. Oh dammit, you beat me.” Katsuya shoved a pillow over his face. “I’m not even useful to you as a trainer anymore.” 

“Full-time practice partner then.” 

“I don’t want a pity job.” Katsuya shook his head. 

“The purpose of hiring you was to get you to quit your job and play games with me. Do you think that’s changed?”

“Yes.” Katusya tossed the pillow aside, tears in his eyes. “If I’m not better than you, I’m worthless, so you don’t need me anymore.” 

“Kat.” Seto sank down until their noses bumped. “I love you, but please stop being so ridiculous before I smack you with a pillow.” 

Katsuya’s breath caught in his throat. HIs eyes widened and his jaw went slack. Seto pulled away, cheeks raw with fire. 

“Too much? Too soon? Unwanted?” Seto panicked. 

“Did you mean it?” Katsuya asked. 

“You make me a better person,” Seto whispered, holding the pendant he always wore around his neck. “Ever since Mokuba went off to college I’ve been a little lost, but you’ve helped me fill all those empty hours.” 

Seto stood. He paced beside the bed, settling for staring at the garden outside his bedroom window. 

“I was pretty horrible when we were teenagers, and you could have treated me the same way. Hell, I expected you to when I hired you. Conflict was the only thing that had ever driven me to do better, _be better_ , but instead you were a gentle teacher...out of everything I learned, boomerangs and ring-spins were the least important to me. Yesterday I told an intern they were doing a great job and I think they almost fainted. Corporate-wide productivity is up 13% in the last six months, and I believe it’s your influence. You’ve always had a way with morale.”

“Seto!” Katsuya grabbed Seto from behind and spun them. 

He slammed Seto on the bed and pinned his wrists over his head. Plucking a kiss from Seto’s mouth, Katsuya pulled away enough to speak. 

“You think you’re the best because you beat people at chess, or duel monsters, or this new game, but _winning_ was never what made you great.” Katsuya stole another kiss. “It’s because once you set a goal you’ll let nothing stop you from achieving it.” He licked Seto’s bottom lip. “It’s because you’re not afraid to love things with your entire being—like how much you love your brother, or even the Blue Eyes White Dragon.” He tugged at Seto’s top lip. “It’s because you’re brilliant, but instead of conforming to the old Kaiba Corp, you re-invented it.” He pressed a small kiss into each corner of Seto’s mouth. “It’s because you’re strong, and passionate, and funny, and, and...sexy as hell!” 

“Kat.” Seto hugged his long legs around Katsuya’s waist since his wrists were pinned. 

Katsuya slipped his tongue into Seto’s mouth, and Seto finally got his long coveted taste. He moaned into their kisses and bucked against Katsuya. Katsuya’s words swirled inside Seto’s head. They made it hard to breathe and Seto gasped. Katsuya dropped down to Seto’s throat. 

“Wait, what time is it?” Katsuya jerked up. “I don’t want to make you late for work.” 

“Are you torturing me on purpose?” Seto whined. 

“No, I only wanted—you know what? Fine. Be late for work. You work too much anyway.” 

Katsuya dove in again, with the same fervor and energy he used when diving through a ring. Katsuya wore regular boxers, and his erect cock slipped through the hole in the front. He frotted against Seto’s boxer briefs, pressing their cocks together again, and again, and again. Seto wrapped his arms around Katsuya, whimpering from six months of mounting tension coming to a hard quick climax with each thrust of Katsuya’s hips. 

“Kat...Kat... _oh fuck_.” 

“Your hair is a sexy mess in the mornings, you know that?” Katsuya growled into Seto’s ear. 

Seto arched. The compliment trembled through him and made his cock twitch. 

“And you have the most gorgeous eyes in Domino City.” 

Seto burst into a fit of giggles. His heart stuttered in his chest. The pressure against his groin sang and he knew he was coming undone beneath the weight of Katusya’s body and the honey dripping from his tongue. Seto grabbed Katsuya for another kiss. Their lips fought as they rutted together. Each kiss was sloppy, imperfect—better than pulling a third Blue Eyes and Polymerizing them together to create the Ultimate Blue Eyes White Dragon and then using it to attack one’s opponent’s Life Points directly and crushing one’s enemy. Yes, kissing Katsuya was better than even winning a Duel, because it felt like winning at a game far, far more important.

Tugging Seto’s boxer briefs to his knees, Katsuya gripped their hard cocks together as he bucked. Seto’s nails dug into Katsuya’s ribs. He tossed his head back and called out as his orgasm spiraled from his center and out the tip of his cock. Seto groped until he fisted his hand around Katsuya’s cock, stroking him until Katsuya was also coming with a deep growl. Katsuya whooped with the same enthusiasm as when he was enjoying himself on the battlefield. The sound, bright and carefree, made Seto laugh. 

“You’re so cute when you laugh, you know that?” Katusya grabbed Seto’s face and attacked him with a dozen little kisses which only forced Seto into a louder laughing fit. 

They were interrupted by Seto’s phone going into a beeping frenzy. 

“Told you you were going to be late for work,” Katsuya lectured. 

“They’ll survive for twenty more minutes.” Seto yanked Katsuya down for another kiss. 

They giggled against each other’s lips, doing their best to make out but interrupting each other with laughter. Seto rolled his eyes when the phone kept screaming beeps like a censored audio clip. Seto sighed, dragging his fingers through Katsuya’s straw-colored hair. 

“See you this afternoon?” 

“You haven’t officially fired me yet, so…” 

“Stop talking.” Seto stole one last kiss. “Feel free to take a nap, or use the shower if you’d like. The staff already know not to bother you.” 

“They do?” Katusya raised an eyebrow. “How long have you been planning this?” 

“I plan for all possible scenarios.” Seto dashed into the bathroom to take his own shower before replying to 106 unread messages. 

After he sorted out the usual work drama, crises, and projects he opened up a new program for a battlefield. This one had no targets, rings, or mines, but he made plenty of interesting islands they could use if they wanted. As soon as he could get away from paperwork and reports, Seto rushed to the game room, knowing Katsuya would be waiting for him. He wasn’t surprised to see Katsuya shove a container full of shrimp fried rice at him the moment he burst through the door. 

“You skipped lunch again, didn’t you?”

“Maybe?” 

“Maybe my ass.” Katsuya dropped a pack of chopsticks on top of the rice and sat down to finish his own food.

“If we must eat, you should at least let me take you somewhere serviceable.” 

“You mean like a date?” Katsuya grinned. “Did you just ask me out on a date? We gonna eat at one of those fancy restaurants with a candle on the table?” 

“You need higher standards as to what you consider to be ‘fancy.’” Seto snorted. 

“I don’t have the threads for a place nicer than free bread sticks.” 

“I’ll have you fitted for a suit.” 

“It ain’t my birthday.” 

Seto pursed his lips. He would rather avoid _this_ specific argument, so instead of snapping at Katsuya, he thought around the issue. 

“Time is more valuable than money. If I spend a small amount of money for us to go on a date, you’re returning my investment three-fold by giving me your time in return.” 

“You’re just saying that to get your way.” Katsuya shoveled rice into his mouth. 

“Yes, but the fact that I want to do it enough to convince you that I’m right should say something. Besides, I’m not wrong. Money is a common resource for me, free time is rare. You have more access to free time, but not as much money. This is a barter system.” 

“What happens when we break up?” 

“Time is nonrefundable and Mokuba will poison your spaghetti again if you make me cry.” 

“That little shit!” Katsuya dropped his chopsticks into his empty container. “I forgot he tried to poison me!”

“He’s not little anymore.” Seto gave Katsuya a sad smile, thinking of Mokuba off at Cambridge. 

“You miss him?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Okay, we can go to some restaurant where the water’s 500 yen a glass, but if we break up in a year then I’m donating everything expensive you ever bought me.” 

“Fair, though I hope you’re not planning on dumping me before we get to fly to space and play our first game in actual microgravity.” 

“Of course I’m not!” Katsuya shook his head. “And it has nothing to do with the game—I just...you know...sometimes things don’t work out—oh quit letting me stick my foot in my mouth. Let’s play!” 

“Finally.” Seto set his container aside and fastened the VR headband to his skull. His special stage manifested around them. 

“What’s all this, Seto?” Katsuya floated to the middle of the battleground. “It looks pretty empty in here. Where are the rings?” 

"I thought we could do a special training session today.” Seto pressed a few buttons on the control panel and music played through the speakers. 

Seto used his boosters to float into the center of the room with Katsuya. He held out his hand, daring Katsuya to take it. Katsuya tilted his head, questioning Seto’s gesture, but accepting. Seto spun Katusya to his chest and then dipped him. 

“You want to dance!” Katsuya shouted, laughing. 

“It’s a good way to practice our fine motor skills and improve dexterity,” Seto said. 

“It’s also super romantic.” Katsuya grinned and twirled Seto. 

“That may have played into my calculations when I designed the room.” Seto brushed his lips along the side of Katsuya’s neck. 

Katsuya sighed, closing his eyes. He grabbed Seto’s hips and pulled him close. They floundered as they navigated through the air, but after a few songs, they adjusted to using their boosters to move. Most of the songs were slow and sultry, but a few faster tempoed ones crept into the playlist. During the fast songs Katsuya’s movements came alive. He took to dancing in the air the same he took to the battleground, and he swung Seto through the air as the speakers blared. 

_When we get there, we're gonna fly so far away,_

_Making sure to laugh; while we experience anti-gravity._

And they were laughing as they twirled in each others arms. By the time Katsuya navigated them toward one of the islands at the edge of the room, they were both sweating, panting, and flushed from movement. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Katsuya whispered. 

Seto grabbed his face and pulled their mouths together. He plunged his tongue into Katsuya’s mouth and Katsuya parted his lips. 

“Sit.” Seto shoved Katsuya into a platform shaped like a chair. 

Katsuya yelped. His legs floated up without gravity to hold them to the “floor.” 

“I added handles.” Seto pointed to the sides of the chair. 

For himself, Seto merely pushed a button on his suit and the bottoms of his boots stuck to the floor like magnets. The attraction wasn’t strong enough to bind him in place. He could walk, but it felt like the ground was mud sucking him in. Seto sank to his knees. He had similar magnet effects applied to his knee pads so he could kneel comfortably. 

“Clever.” Katsuya hung on to the handles to keep himself grounded. 

Seto undid Katsuya’s belt. 

“Won’t it fly away?” 

“It’s a simulation.” Seto released the belt and watched it float. “We can end the game when we’re done.” 

“Yeah? What are we going to do all afternoon if we don’t spend our every waking hour playing a game?” 

“We’re resourceful. We’ll think of something.” Seto peeled Katsuya’s pants away from his legs, allowing them to float near the belt. 

Seto straddled Katsuya’s lap, stealing kisses from Katsuya’s mouth. Katsuya bit and sucked Seto’s neck, _hard_. Since they were in a simulator, Seto allowed Katsuya to suck as fiercely as he wanted since it wouldn’t leave any marks on his physical body. After a minute, Seto dropped to the ground again and kissed just above Katsuya’s knees and traveled up his thighs. 

“Oh fuck, Seto.” Katsuya slammed his eyes shut and tilted his head back. 

Seto fit Katsuya’s entire dick into his mouth. He swallowed around Katsuya’s cockhead before sliding his lips up Katsuya’s shaft. His gaze flicked to Katsuya’s face, and Seto savored the way Katsuya’s mouth twisted as he shouted in pleasure. 

“This is...so...good…” Katsuya opened his eyes so he could watch Seto swallowing his length. “Gods y’look fucking hot with my cock in your mouth.” 

Seto’s stomach twisted. Katsuya’s compliments went straight to Seto’s dick, and Seto took Katsuya deeper, wanting to please him until he was screaming. 

“Oh yeah...that’s right...like that...Seto...fuck...you’re— _ahh_ —too damn good at this.” Katsuya hitched his hips between each word, fucking Seto’s mouth even as Seto bobbed his head. 

Katsuya kept his grip on the handles, but he pushed himself into the air a bit to give his hips more freedom to move. He hooked a leg over Seto’s shoulder. The position would be awkward with gravity pulling him down, but in the battleground they were free to twist and move as they pleased. Seto sped his pace, gauging Katsuya’s impatience by the wild bucking of his hips. 

“Seto...Seto...Seto...shit, shit, shit, yes. I’m coming!” 

Seto made sure to swallow. The physics engine could probably handle it, but he didn’t particularly want to see dozens of come pearls floating around their heads. 

“I can’t hold on.” Katsuya groaned, his grip slipping the handles. 

“I got you.” Seto grinned as he locked his arms around Katsuya's waist. 

“I feel...so spectacular right now.” Katusya gave him a goofy grin that exceeded previous goofy grins by at least 34%. 

“Want to end the game now?” Seto asked. 

“Yeah, I think so.” Katsuya kissed Seto. 

The moment he opened his eyes and slipped off the headband, Katsuya was there to lift Seto into his arms and slam him against a shelf full of games. A hand-carved checker set and backgammon case crashed to the floor, but they ignored the games and they worked their lips together. 

“I’ll carry you to bed again,” Katsuya whispered as he worked his lips against the shell of Seto’s ear. 

“Actually…” 

Seto fumbled on the shelf, knocking over a deck of regular cards and game of Dixit until he reached a sennet board. He shoved it aside to reveal a bottle of lube. 

“Preparing for every scenario again?” Katsuya raised an eyebrow. 

“It’s been there for weeks. I overestimated you.” 

“You know—” Katsuya nipped Seto’s jaw— “Normal people just ask someone on a date when they’re interested? They don’t hyperfocus on games and hide lube in their gameroom.” 

“If you wanted someone normal you wouldn’t have me pinned against the wall right now.” Seto pinched Katsuya’s nipple through his shirt. 

“Oh yeah, I have you pinned to the wall.” Katsuya bucked against Seto’s crotch. 

Coming in the game hadn’t caused Katsuya to lose his erection outside the virtual world, so he was hard and ready for round two. They tore at each other’s clothes. After pulling away the belts around Seto’s arms, Katsuya started laughing each time he had to unlace something else. Seto’s boots were the most difficult to pull away, and Seto made a mental note to dress simply for dates so he could escape his clothing more efficiently.

When their clothes all fell away and their skin could press against bare skin, Seto sighed and rested his cheek against Katsuya’s shoulder. His legs circled around Katsuya’s waist, and Katsuya held Seto’s thighs to press him against the wall. Since Katsuya’s hands were busy holding Seto up, Seto grabbed the lube and slipped his wet fingers into his own asshole. 

“That’s sexy,” Katsuya muttered, his eyes unfocused as he watched. 

“Yeah?” Seto grinned. 

“Yeah.” Katsuya licked his lips, visibly eager to begin. 

“The way your hair falls into your eyes is sexy. Used to drive me up the fucking wall because I didn’t want to admit it.” Seto hid his face in the crook of Katsuya’s neck so he didn’t have to face him during the compliment. He was still getting used speaking kindly, and the words felt extra intimate while Seto prepped himself. 

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Katsuya’s chest trembled when he chuckled. 

“I’m ready.” Seto removed his fingers, anticipating Katsuya’s girth in their place. 

“Are you?” Katsuya smirked. 

Seto shivered. He wondered if his smirks ever had the same effect on Katsuya. Katsuya’s face was wry with confidence as he lined up to Seto’s entrance. Smoothly, Katsuya allowed Seto’s weight to sink down his length. 

“ _Ahh_!” Seto’s nails dug into Katsuya’s shoulders. 

“S’it okay?” Katsuya grunted, eyes lidded as Seto’s warmth surrounded his shaft. 

“Phenomenal.” Seto clenched his muscles, squeezing around Katsuya’s girth. 

Katsuya cooed at Seto’s subtle movement. They held tight to each other, setting up a deliberate rhythm. In and out so languid and easy that it made Seto _ache_ in a sweet and glorious way. Their exhales were loud and raspy. Their bodies were jeweled with diamonds of sweat. 

“Kat…” Seto moaned. 

“I like it when you moan my name.” Katsuya licked up Seto’s throat. 

“Katsuya.” 

“You’re so warm.” Katsuya slid in deep. “You’re so gorgeous impaled on my cock.” Katsuya slipped out. 

He continued, whispering sweet nothings and he pushed in to his base, then telling Seto how pretty he was while pulling away for another thrust. Seto’s breath came out in short _ahs_. He couldn’t speak. He could only moan as Katsuya filled him over and over. He yearned to be touched, stroked, brought to the edge. With his fingers still slick with lube, Seto fisted his dick and stroked himself. He began slow like their leisurely thrusts, but _wanted it too much_ , and sped up to a desperate pace, racing himself to orgasm. 

“That’s right...keep touching yourself...oh Seto!” Katsuya slammed his eyes shut, quickened his thrusts, and moaned as he came. 

Seto hitched his hips, making himself tip over just after Katsuya finished. They stumbled to the gaming chaise. Katsuya kept Seto in his arms, and Seto sat side-saddle in Katsuya’s lap. His face still hid against Katsuya’s neck as they caught their breath. 

“There’s never a dull moment with you.” Katsuya chuckled into Seto’s hair. 

“I love you,” Seto whispered, tracing the thin line of a scar down Katsuya’s chest. He didn’t ask about Kat’s scars, and Katsuya didn’t ask about his. 

Seto figured there’d be plenty of time to whisper stories on dark nights when one or the other of them couldn’t sleep. There’d be time to talk about siblings, and stupid things they did in highschool, and how once they both knew a pharaoh who disapeared again after only a short time. Seto realized they shared more things than he would have ever considered before they started playing games together. He didn’t want to admit the others were his friends, but he supposed they were, to a point, and not only friends, but experiences too. Their relationship was like the foundation of a house, buried underground below view, but deep and stable. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Katsuya asked as he petted Seto’s hair. 

“Looking forward to building something with you in the future.” 

“Like a house?” Katsuya asked. 

“Yes, but I was being metaphorical, not literal.” 

“You do that too much.” Katsuya chuckled. 

“Then you should be used to it by now.” Seto poked the tip of Katsuya’s nose. 

“Guess so.” He shrugged. 

“I was thinking that our past is like a foundation beneath the ground.” Seto sat straight, using his hands to gesture as he spoke. “And now, we can build whatever type of relationship we want on top of that foundation.” 

“Oh. Damn. That’s beautiful Seto!” Katsuya grinned. 

“A mere random thought.” 

“Knowing you,” Katsuya tilted Seto back in order to place a dramatic kiss on his lips before righting him again. “Nothing less than an extravagant mansion will do.”

“I’ll trim everything with gold.” Seto teased the strands of Katsuya’s buttermilk hair. 

“Until then, let’s get dressed. If you’re dragging me to a hoity-toity restaurant where we have to wear suits, then you have to come with _me_ to Burger World tonight. It can be our first real date!” 

“The first brick in our mansion.” Seto smiled despite himself. 


End file.
